for angels

FAQs

What is an Angel Investor?

Angel investors are wealthy individuals who invest in high risk, early stage ventures by reserving a portion of their total investment portfolios to provide emerging companies with seed and startup capital through direct, private investments. Their goal is to achieve higher returns than the typical public markets provide. Most angels are active investors - who contribute their time and experience, as well as offer introductions to valuable contacts essential to the company’s success - because they enjoy the thrill of helping entrepreneurs grow their businesses. To maximize the value added, most angels specialize in industries or technologies they understand, and invest only in companies within close geographic proximity.

What is an Angel Group?

Angel investor groups vary in structure, from formal to informal. Formal groups follow strict participation requirements that guide members minimum investment activity and event attendance. Some groups pool members capital to make investments on the group’s behalf, while others allow individual members to invest in specific deals of interest. A typical angel group investment ranges widely from $50,000 to $250,000 per deal, depending on how many group members are interested in the deal. While no two angel groups operate exactly alike, most angel groups maintain a local or regional geographic focus in order to maximize members ability to actively engage in the growth of their investments. Angel groups often have web sites that provide directions for business plan submission. After screening business plans for top-quality deals that match the groups criteria, these groups organize regular monthly breakfast or dinner meetings for members to hear pitches from companies selected to present. If the group (or members of the group) decides to proceed, interested members commonly collaborate on due diligence and deal negotiation. Based on the groups structure, investments are either made directly by individual members, or by the group as a whole. Most groups apply standard terms to their investments, with some flexibility to negotiate.